To err is human, to typewrite err, divine.

Silver Skrivmaskinen

Posted on June 21, 2015

The Silvertronic 20 typewriter is more readily recognisable as a Maritsa 30.

It was the scarceness of this name variant that attracted me rather than the colour.

The seller told me his grandmother bought this typewriter in Sweden before migrating to Australia.

The name gives away this typewriter’s roots as a Bulgarian copy of earlier typewriters that were made in Japan by Silver-Seiko Ltd.

A further Japanese association can be made when you look at the rear of the machine …

Sumitronics is an electronic manufacturing company and a subsidiary company of the Sumitomo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, a global organisation which had, and still has, offices around the world, including Stockholm, Sweden.

Encased in sturdy, solid plastic, this typewriter is much less flimsy than its Eastern Block cousin, the Robotron Cella S1001, but is not much better to type on. I found myself having to be heavy-handed with it, even with the typing touch adjustment switch set at its lowest.

Instead of a red Ferrari, think old red tractor. Mind you, I do like the “tractor tyre” platen knobs …

And the Pica typeface isn’t bad …

But I can’t say I’m keen on the jigsaw-piece ribbon spool covers that pull away from the body not so easily.

A lot of people are attracted to bright red typewriters like this.

Personally, I’d be more than happy to swap it for a “boring” grey-beige Facit 1620.